Gastric bypass surgery is a common and successful obesity procedure in which both, the amount of food you can consume, and the amount of calories you absorb, is limited. The main difference between gastric bypass surgery and other weight-loss procedures is the shortening of the food pathway.

Today, two of this kind of surgery can be performed; the Roux-en-Y bypass and the simplified Mini gastric bypass. The main difference between the the two is that in the Roux-en-Y, the intestines are reconnected (anastomosed) in two places, whereas in the Mini, it is only one.

Some of the advantages of a gastric bypass are that it produces significant long-term weight loss, and leads to favorable changes in gut hormones that reduce appetite and improve satiety (feeling full). Our surgeon will be best to advise you whether you are a good candidate for gastric bypass surgery.

How it works

There are two main steps in the gastric bypass surgery and these are done through small incisions in your abdomen using special keyhole (laparoscopic) surgical instruments. First, the surgeon creates a small stomach pouch, approximately 30 milliliters in volume, by separating the top of your stomach from the rest of it. Next, he divides the first portion of your small intestine, and then brings the bottom part of it up to connect it to your newly formed stomach pouch. The surgery finishes by connecting the top portion of the divided small intestine to the small intestine further down so that digestive enzymes and stomach acid from the bypassed stomach and first portion of small intestine can mix with the food.

The effect of this operation is threefold:

1- The new stomach pouch requires substantially smaller food portions. As a result, you will feel full after eating smaller amounts of food, and thus will consume fewer calories.

2- Due to the smaller stomach pouch and bypassed part of the small bowel, fewer calories and nutrients are taken in.

3- Rerouting the food leads to changes in gut hormones that suppress food cravings and promote early satiety.

Possible Complications

Many surgeons prefer gastric bypass surgery because it generally has fewer complications than do other weight-loss surgeries.

Still, all forms of weight-loss surgery, including gastric bypass, are major procedures that can pose serious risks and side effects. Also, you must make permanent healthy changes to your diet and get regular exercise to help ensure the long-term success of bariatric surgery. The doctor will discuss any risks and possible complications with you prior to surgery.